Transcript

00:00:01

>> Some of them have never sat in a classroom before. But now these migrants have to get their heads around notoriously complex German grammar. Germany unveiling a new integration drive for its 1 million new arrivals. This means 700 hours of German teaching and cultural orientation to give migrants a better chance of a job.

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According to Reuter's Michelle Martin in Berlin, non-attendance to class could have serious consequences.>> Many of the migrants coming here are coming from the Middle East of Africa, so they come from cultures which are vastly different to Germany. And many of them are coming here speaking absolutely no German at all, so the classes are important so that they can integrate into German society.

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The new law, which still needs to be agreed by Parliament, says that migrants who are required to take part in integration courses but fail to turn up, will have their benefits cut to a minimum level that ensures their livelihood.>> Germany says it wants to avoid past mistakes, in the decades after World War II millions of so called guest workers came from Turkey to plug a labor shortage.

00:00:59

Most of them are still in Germany today, but because their stay was supposed to be temporary, little effort was made to integrate them into society and this has caused friction for decades. German Chancellor Angela Merkel calls this new law a milestone for. But as migrants continue to stream in, many say there are still significant hurdles to overcome.

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>> There aren't enough places at the moment, the federal office for migration and refugees is receiving around 2,500 applications from asylum seekers with high chances of being able to stay in Germany at the moment. Once finished students take a living in Germany practice test. They have to identify German foods from bratwurst to pretzel and choose from a list of Christian holidays.

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But many say the allocated hours are not enough to bridge the cultural divide and it will take a lot more than classroom time to make Germany feel like home.